What's New in Knowledge | August 2024

In response to the rapid rise in the scale, intensity, frequency and duration of extreme heat, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an urgent and concerted effort to enhance international cooperation to address extreme heat in four critical areas: caring for those more at risk, protecting workers, boosting resilience of economies and societies using data and science, and limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C by phasing out fossil fuels and scaling up investment in renewable energy.

The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with L.E.K. Consulting, have released a report that provides an in-depth analysis of the direct and indirect health impacts of climate change. It assesses the gaps in research and actionable guidance, and highlights opportunities for private sector intervention to improve health outcomes.

The UNDRR has released the latest findings from the Sendai Framework Monitor. The findings underscore both advancements and ongoing challenges in global disaster risk reduction efforts. Key highlights from the report include; average disaster-related mortality declined by 49%, the number of disaster-affected people increased by 71%, direct economic losses from disasters averaged ~0.3% of global GDP for reporting countries during 2015-2023, 129 countries now have national disaster risk reduction strategies, a significant increase from 57 in 2015, and 108 countries reported having multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS), compared to only 52 in 2015.

Closer to home, the long awaited book from Dr Mark Crosweller AFSM, Compassion in Disaster Management has arrived. It promises to be a though provoking and challenging read, and one to look forward to.

The latest Australian Journal of Emergency Management is out, with a special focus on gender and disaster, and intersectional issues that can amplify challenges in disaster risk reduction.

In understanding consequences and recovery, this is a good article on Hurricane Beryl that highlights the benefits of preparation, however recovery will be long and complicated because of the damage wrought. Also on Hurricane Beryl, this article looks at the effectiveness of preparedness measures people in Texas took prior to impact.

The Inspector-General of Emergency Management in Queensland has released their report into the effectiveness of the state government activities to support the recovery of the 39 local government areas impacted by the North and Far North Queensland monsoon trough in 2019. Red Cross in Queensland have released a report detailing their responses to natural hazard events, as well as collective trauma events across the state. The closure of Cobargo’s Bushfire Relief Centre is the feature of this story.

Looking at knowledge, this article examines how history can have lessons for the future, including the rules for radical hope.

In thinking about systemic risk, this piece from RAND looks at the impact of climate change on critical systems. Vulneracity is an examination of the drivers and dynamics of urban vulnerability to six different natural hazards. Interestingly, they identify six types of directional dynamics for the relationship between hazard and impact. This important paper examines risk creation, how it’s described, and how it informs decision making. This report examines the budget implications of a range of hazards on Ontario’s infrastructure. This article examines how Australia is connected to the rest of the world by undersea cables. The CrowdStrike outage reminds us of our dependence on hyperconnected systems #cashisking. This article looks at the concentration of ownership of the global food system. Anyone else feeling a little systemic risk queasiness? This article looks at microgrids.

In disaster risk reduction, this research analysis examines people-centred risk communications for geohazards. The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery have released a checklist for assessing the comprehensiveness and depth of building code provisions, focusing on four major elements: structural resilience, fire safety, green buildings, and universal accessibility. A systematic review of disaster resilience indicators examined capacities to maintain, adapt and transform. This Conversation article calls for nature based solutions to help managed flood risk. While on nature based solutions, this one examines their cost effectiveness.

The folks at Resilient Ready have released a report on social capital and social infrastructure in South Australia. This paper examines the ethics of risk communications. Connecting with informal green spaces in cities is as important for our health as connecting with nature. The Third Technical Bulletin of PROCULTHER-NET presents a range of articles on protecting cultural heritage across the European Union.

In Fiji, young people are planning mangroves to protect coastlines against erosion. In Western Australia, they have moved to the Australian Warning System. Hydrogen cells are being trialled to keep mobile phone towers powered when there is loss of power. These guidelines from Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery focus on early warning systems in fragile communities that may be experiencing conflict and violence.

Focussing on First Nations knowledge, out on Wurundjeri Country, the Shire of Yarra Ranges ran a national symposium, Our Country, Our Way bringing to the fore Indigenous disaster risk reduction knowledge. This Landline story highlights cultural burning on k’gari. In AJEM, Ammie Howell, an Arrernte woman, tackles the application of the word ‘vulnerable’ to First Nations peoples.

Indigenous knowledge systems in Africa are being used to inform climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction frameworks. While in Canada, traditional knowledge is increasingly being used to manage fire. This paper examines the difference in reporting of climate change impacts between indigenous communities and local communities.

For children and young people, UNICEF have released this report on heat and children, whereas this paper looks at the issue across 130 countries. This is a policy brief on children health and heatwaves in Europe and Central Asia. The experiences of caregivers of infants and young children are examined in this AJEM paper.

Recognising inequity, this paper examines disability inclusive disaster risk reduction in schools. This report looks at strengthening human rights in disaster risk reduction in the Asia Pacific region. This systematic review highlights the scarcity of research integrating a gender perspective into climate policy impact assessments. This report details a program ensuring mobile communications are inclusive, contributing to the concept of Early Warnings for All. This quarter’s AJEM has papers on balancing structural and personal perspectives on gender and sexuality, on tailoring preparedness engagement for CALD communities, and examining community led resilience for CALD communities in South Australia.

Considering animals in disasters, this paper examines the rescue of 1000 animals from the floods in 2017 in New Zealand, the largest companion animal rescue operation in the nation’s history.

Looking at weather matters and climate change, Australian National University calls for a national conversation about relocation. The London Climate Resilience Review has been released, providing an assessment of London’s climate resilience and makes 50 recommendations for action to guide London’s preparations for more frequent and intense climate impacts. Climate change is making global rainfall more variable. This one is looking at how methane is turbo charging unnatural disasters (interesting the shift in terminology there relating to climate change). The impact of climate change on sport is the focus on this article. The challenge of insurance and self-insurance is rising.

There’s been quite a focus on different hazards, this paper analyses the evacuation times for the Tohoku Tsunami in 2011. Cultural heritage and flood vulnerability indicators are the subject of this paper. This paper from the cool handle of @seismoalice focuses on buildings that can be earthquake resilient AND sustainable, ticking a couple of important boxes. This Hazard Note from Natural Hazards Research Australia looks into the use and comprehension of bushfire maps. While on fire, this research confirms what we have been suspecting, that extreme fires are now more common.

A guideline into incorporating sand and dust storm management into policy has been released by United Nations agencies. Nothing like a good disaster movie. Sometimes they get the science right, sometimes they get it wrong. This article examines the science of Twisters as does this one.¹ This article gives us an insight into people’s fascination with extreme weather. Space junk, the stuff that falls out of the sky is the feature of this article. This article looks at how hurricanes will change as the earth warms. This article on the deadly crowd crush in India reminds us of the importance of planning for mass gatherings.

Focussing on extreme heat, this research argues that cooling must be considered a critical infrastructure and warns that governments must accurately assess how much cooling is needed to meet societal, environmental, health, well-being, economic and adaptation goals in a warming world. The US Congressional Library Research Service has released this Insight Paper on Declarations of the Stafford Act (US Federal Government post disaster assistance) for extreme heat.

We had the globally warmest day ever during the month. This Conversation article explains how it is measured. Our World in Data look into urban design to reduce extreme heat. This report on urban overheating examines measures at the EU, national and local levels. The International Labour Organisation have released guidance on work and extreme heat.

In health, South Adelaide Local Health Network held a mass casualty exercise using Emergotrain. This paper examines hospital preparedness for an extreme hurricane season in the US. This article examines the possibility of bird flu becoming a human pandemic and how countries are preparing. The Global Heat Health Digest for July can be found here.

Looking at governance, leadership, and capacity building, this report from UNESCO looks at capacity building for DRR in the built environment. This article examines the empowerment of local government in the Philippines to take on disaster risk reduction. This AJEM article details a new partnership between multicultural communities and emergency management agencies.

Examining the frontiers in technology, this article provides a cautionary tale on how AI can fuel AI to churn out nonsense. But recognising this and using AI for good, it can help predict droughts a year in advance, helping predict the movement of fire, and help with extinguishing fires. This research details how AI is being used across all stages of emergency management.

Researchers have been training a neural network to distinguish between waves that might precede a rogue wave, and those that don’t, potentially giving up to 5 life-saving minutes warning of a rogue wave. This Conversation article raises a healthy awareness of the potential risks for the next big thing of frontier technologies, quantum technologies. The time to talk about it is now. Another reminder that AI can strain the power grid and contribute to climate change.

Back in time, it is 10 years on from the tragic MH17 disaster. And 5 years ago the largest earthquake in Australia, the 6.6 Broome earthquake was felt. July also marked when the tragic Thredbo Landslide occurred in 1997. The wreck of the MV Noongah, one of Australia’s worst maritime disasters has been missing for 55 years, until now. A new ABC series, I was actually there, from the people who developed You Can’t Ask That. It features episodes on Port Arthur and the Boxing Day Tsunami.

In good news, early warning systems are saving lives in Central Asia.

Sources: Horst Kremers, Isabel Cornes, Darryl Glover, Sandy Whight.

Compiled by Lexi Barrington and John Richardson